I can't tell you how delicious this was! Ok, I can. It was AMAZING! It is hands down the best burger I've ever made at home.
I saw the recipe in Food Network Magazine, and my inner preggo said that I had to have it. (Their picture is way better than mine, too. I was too hungry for the fancy shots.)
The onion-bacon compote plus the cheese takes the burger to a whole notha level.
We had our burgers with something I call Corrales Casserole. It was an easy way to use leftover rice - just mixed with two cans of green chiles, some sour cream, diced white onion, and cheddar cheese. Popped it in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes and voila!
The Office Burger
Adapted from Food Network Magazine
Onion-Bacon Compote
4 slices bacon
2 tbs. unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Burgers
Cooking Spray (Pam)
1 lb. ground beef - your choice on the fat content
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Rolls/buns of your choice
Gruyere cheese, shredded
Gorgonzola, crumbled
1 cup baby arugula
Compote
Crisp the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, flipping occasionally for even cooking, until crispy (about 5 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel to drain, crumble, and set aside. Reserve 1 tbs. bacon drippings and discard the rest.
Reduce the heat to low (very important to caramelize the onions) and add the butter. Add the onions and cook, covered, until golden (about 15 minutes). Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking. Uncover and add the garlic, stirring to combine. Cook until onions are caramelized, about 5 more minutes. Add the vinegar and stir, until the onions are glazed, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat, add bacon, and season with S&P. Set aside.
Burgers
Preheat a grill to medium high and spray the grill with cooking spray. Form the beef into four patties, season each side with S&P, and grill about 5 minutes a side. Only flip the burgers once and never, never press the patties down to the grill. Melt the cheese onto the patties while they're in their last 3 minutes of cooking. Meanwhile, toast your buns.
Serve the cheesy burgers on your toasty buns and top with the onion-bacon compote and baby arugula.
